Sometimes instructors get so used to the material or the way they've always done things. They fall into a rut. I always enjoy talking with other instructors to get new ideas. It gives me a chance to evaluate what is working and what is not. I try to incorporate new ideas to help from staying in that rut.
Teaching as well as any profession has it's ups and downs, students and staff can absord energy from the more dedicated teacher. Keeping fresh helps you keep on track with the goals you set. it also gives good example to your students or staff that you are aware of your imperfections and you take time to regroup and energize yourself for yourself as well as for the students you teach.
Hi Charles,
This is true for many instructors, so they need to keep in mind the reason they became instructors. By doing so they can recapture their motivation and bring excitement back into the classroom.
Gary
because during the daily grind they may forget the positive changes they have made on students lives. and by doing this teaching may just become a job to be repeeted over and over .
I think refocus implies what it means. That is I started with focus anf I need to stay focused..It is easy for any of us to let the cares of life or even the character of a class to blurr out original objectivity of any given field. Perhaps making a note , or a journal entry at the beginning of a course can add reflection in the midcourse look we take of ourselves, and help return perspective to what my initial goal.
Refocusing keeps the instructor fresh and relevant, excited and interested as well as interesting to his or her learners.
Instructors need to revist their purpose, visualize their student's success, and recharge their energy to facilitate the ongoing learning and continued interest for their learners.
REFOCUS is a kind of "reality check" since instructors are not immune to the "brain drain" and the resulting slump that occurs as a by-product of the outflow of energy put into teaching. It is a way for instructors to provide themselves with comprehensive and balanced feed-back by recognizing personal and instructional achievement, feeling empowered by the progress made by students and the assurance this brings that you are keeping them on course, or if necessary, making any changes needed. The midway period of instruction for me is their Midterm exam. Not only do I use it for concrete evaluation and grading but also us it to take a quick glimpse at what was learned or not learned and then refocus and go on to the second half of the course. Ojectivizing and commiting to the achievement of instructional standards yet to be achieved is a natural lead to "unburdening" myself from unrealistic expectations. It has been my experience that telling a story, even sharing a personal one, serves a variety of purposes. I especially like telling a story or anecdote. When kept short, they can be an instructional and practical way to establish rapport, and to help students connect the course material in practice to the real world.
As an instructor I can sometime fall into a rot by teaching the same course term after term. By using technique of “REFOCUS” allows me to bring new life to my lecture and lesson plan.
This is something that I wish that I purposefully did more often. It seems to happen by chance though, when I have a student who is particularly intersted in a topic that we are discussing and goes beyond what is expected. This event recharges me and gets me excited about the learning taking place in the class. I hope that I create inspiring moments like this in my classes - but instead of hoping, I need to reflect and make more concerted efforts.
Leslie
Must instructor will teach the same subject over and over again. This makes teaching more of a recording. We need to refocus on what is at hand and reengage with are student. One way of doing this is to have multiple lectures to make us think on what is being delivered.
Hi Jon,
Good points. To remain fresh it is fun to try new things. We can do that by looking for new activities, current events, or new information in our field. To learn about the above and then try them out in our courses keeps us refreshed and pumped up when we enter the classroom or lab.
Gary
As was stated in our module, instructors need to access and recharge the batteries. If we have structured and applied curriculum correctly there should be a significant success rate with a majority of students. Retention and motivated students should be the reward and a pause of reflection for a job well done is required.
Something else to consider is we as instructors also may need time to reconnect to the material.
Along with feedback from students we need to gather new materials and resources to keep ourselves excited and motivated.
Hi Patricio,
This is a good point. We have to keep our energy up and our students engaged. We can do this by keeping our minds focused on what we are offering our students in terms of future careers.
Gary
I think that It's very important for us Instructors to perform a refocus evaluation as needed in order to deliver the materials and info/ with passion to our customers (students) who may already have build high expectations from you as a Instructor/Coach/Lider , etc.
To remind the students what they have learned and to install a sence of confidence
Hi Lev,
Good point. If we aren't excited then for sure our students won't be. We have to bring our A game to the class every time it meets.
Gary
Teaching can be a burnout job, especially these days of teaching multiple classes a day.
We need to be able to recharge ourselves in order to be good at what we do.
Hi Lina,
What are some ways you have been successful in refocusing and renewing your efforts as an instruction?
Gary
You need to refocus so you don't get into a rut. This benefits both the students and the educator and keeps the course interesting and worthwhile.
